President Clinton Wants First Stage
Of Impeachment Trial to Be Quick

By

David Rogers Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Jan. 11, 1999 3:36 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON -- The White House hopes to move quickly through the first stage of Senate impeachment proceedings and save its legal thunder for the battle late this month over whether House prosecutors will be permitted to call witnesses.

President Clinton's attorneys Monday will file only limited pretrial legal motions with what is expected to be a 10-to-15-page response to the charges. A fuller trial brief will be filed by midweek, but depending on Senate reaction to House arguments -- beginning Thursday -- the...